(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for the treatment of the anemia of chronic disorders as well as those anemias arising consequent to treatment with ionising radiation or drugs or surgery or other physical procedures which may have toxic side effects such as dialysis for kidney disease. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of cyproheptadine and other serotonin antagonists as an active ingredient for the manufacture of a medicament and the use of pharmaceutical compositions containing cyproheptadine and other serotonin antagonists for treating anemia in general and particularly for reducing the extent of the anemia of chronic disorders in patients suffering from various types of cancers, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, kidney disease and other chronic diseases whether the anemia is due to the chronic disorder itself or the result of an applied treatment which in addition to its significant therapeutic effects may also have toxic side effects. In such instances, treatment with the serotonin antagonists would allow the continuance of the original treatment of the disease without interruption.
(b) Description of Prior Art
Anemia in a living organism broadly results from a condition in which the blood is deficient in hemoglobin or in red blood cells. Some anemias are treatable but for others effective treatment is still non-existent. Anemia of chronic disorder and toxic anemias are of that type and are found mostly in patients who suffer from neoplastic, infectious or inflammatory diseases. There is therefore a need for a cure or alleviation of these anemias.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,056 issued in Sept. 13, 1988 to Roman Rozencwaig, there is disclosed a method of treating patients suffering from cancer, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, multiple sclerosis by administration of a serotonin antagonist such as cyproheptadine. In these cases, the serotonin antagonist was found to be responsible for curing or at least alleviating the disease itself. In many cases, anemias, in particular anemias of chronic disorders are associated with chronic diseases, and there is an urgent need to find a cure or at least a treatment for such anemias since they may cause a deterioration of the patients with whom they are associated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a treatment which is effective in the treatment of anemias, more particularly the anemias of chronic disorders and of those conditions in which anemia may occur as a toxic side effect of treatment.